Of Shoes and Couches
by faery-of-fiction
Summary: Yuushi says Kenya has too many shoes and Kenya says Jirou spends too much time on their couch. Something has got to give.


This story was originally written for a Tenipuri exchange.

* * *

Yuushi cursed as he tripped over several pairs of running shoes as he came into the apartment. "I'm home," He called out after he was sure no other shoes were going to try to trip and kill him. He took a moment to shove all of the shoes into the closet along with his own pair and then headed further into the apartment and to the couch where Kenya was currently lounging.

"Hey, welcome home," Kenya said, his attention mostly on his 3DS and not the textbook on his stomach or his cousin.

"Exactly how many running shoes do you need?" Yuushi asked. He was still standing and crossed his arms as he looked down on Kenya to let his cousin know that he was really impressed with almost dying in their entranceway.

"You can't use the same pair of shoes for in the gym as you do on the street or the even the same pair for when you go cross country. And I didn't become the speed star of Naniwa by sticking to the same terrain," Kenya said not even looking up from the 3DS.

Yuushi reached over and plucked the 3DS from his cousin's fingers. "Fine. You need a million pairs. But they go in the closet. Not planted around the entrance as death traps."

"Hey! I was playing that." Kenya sat up causing his textbook to fall to the floor. Yuushi noticed that it didn't seem to slow him down at all as he then leaped up from the sofa without giving it a second look. "And you just need to work on your balance and agility and you'd be fine."

"There's nothing wrong with my balance and agility. I just don't expect the entrance to my apartment to be set up like a death trap."

"Fine. I'll shove them off to the side. Now give me back my game."

Yuushi sighed. He figured that was as big as a compromise as he was going to get. He gave back the 3DS and then sunk down onto the armchair with a defeated sigh. "Why did I agree to live with you again?" He loved his cousin dearly but he seemed to love him more when there were several hundred kilometers between him and a pile of shoes.

"Because your dad got transferred off to Hiroshima and you didn't want to go there and I wanted to come up here for university so our parents thought having us share an apartment would be safer and cheaper," Kenya explained matter of factly.

"Clearly my father did not take into account the dangers of your shoes."

"They are not that bad. You're just jealous because I'm the better runner."

"Why would disliking tripping over your shoes be a sign of jealousy over your running? Besides, you might have speed but I can go the distance," Yuushi said giving his glasses an adjustment.

"Do you expect me to believe that? I've run in marathons. I've only seen you run on a treadmill while glued to some romance novel."

"Textbooks actually. I like to make the most out of my time." Mostly so that he would have more time where he wasn't required to do anything besides what he wanted to do but his cousin didn't need to know that.

"Still doesn't prove you aren't jealous of my running skills."

"And what will make you believe that I have nothing to be jealous about when it comes to you, dear cousin?"

"Let's go for a run."

As Kenya tossed his 3DS to the couch, Yuushi knew there was no backing down now. His cousin was giving him a serious challenge and while Yuushi did not always rise to the bait of such taunts, he more often than not did when it was his cousin.

"Fine. Let me get changed." He stood and headed to his room to change. 

0*0*0

When he came back, Kenya was also changed and doing some stretches in the living room. "Want to make a wager?" He asked as he spotted Yuushi in his own running gear.

"On running? No. Bragging rights will suffice."

"If you win, I'll be good and put all my shoes away."

"You should be doing that anyway," Yuushi said. He was looking in the hall mirror as he put his hair up into a pony to keep it away from his neck as they ran and not full paying attention to Kenya.

"And if I win, you'll be good and put away your Jirou?"

"My what?" Yuushi asked, sure that he had heard wrong.

"You know, that wavy haired, energy-ball narcoleptic that's always sleeping on our couch? I don't know how many times I've nearly sat down on the guy."

"He is not my Jirou. And he is not always sleeping on the couch. If I recall, you were lounging on it just moments ago." Though now that he was thinking about it he could recall more than a few mornings where he and Jirou had shared breakfast or gone to classes together after his friend had stayed the night.

"Maybe. But I bet he's on it tomorrow morning," Kenya said. He then began digging through the pile of shoes that Yuushi had made when he came in to get the pair that he wanted for their jog. "I don't get why if he's here all the time you two don't just share a bed. Or at least get him a futon to sleep on."

Yuushi gave a shrug. He hadn't really considered it. Jirou would come over. They'd do homework or chat and then Jirou would inevitably nod off or miss the last train and just curl up on the couch. Yuushi would often provide him a blanket out of courtesy and then head to bed himself or at least his bedroom to do anything else that needed doing. Jirou had never mentioned the couch being uncomfortable and Yuushi had never thought to ask.

While perhaps not normal by most people's standards it just felt like an extension of all their years in junior high school and high school. Someone would always be watching out for Jirou to make sure he got home or was sleeping somewhere safe for the night. And with Atobe off in Europe chasing dreams it had somehow defaulted to Yuushi to be Jirou's primary sleep coordinator. Not that he minded. Jirou was an entertaining ball of energy when awake and had some sly observations about people and life in general that even he would struggle to match at times.

But clearly the arrangement wasn't normal for Kenya and was bothering him. So it might be time to actually talk to Jirou about the situation and come to some accord. But first, he had to kick his cousin's butt on the run. He'd never hear the end of it and would risk broken ankles if he failed.

"I'll talk to him about it. Now let's go. This tortoise is going to win the race, mister Hare."

Kenya just laughed at him and they bickered all the way out of their building and onto the street and even for the good first part of the run. 

0*0*0

Kenya and him were eventually forced to call their challenge a tie when Kenya had to leave to make a meet-up with a friend. Yuushi thought it was a convenient excuse to get out of more long distance running. Not that he wasn't happy for the excuse, too. He had done plenty of training under Atobe's captaincy at Hyoutei but it didn't mean he enjoyed it.

As he returned to his apartment he found Jirou leaning back against the door and reading a textbook. Yuushi wasn't sure what surprised him more, that Jirou was here waiting for him or that he was awake and studying and not napping. Though, Yuushi supposed that observation was unfair. Jirou had managed to pass his first year of classes at the university so it would stand to reason that he was in fact studying on his own and not just when Yuushi was around to prod him awake.

"Jirou," Yuushi said in greeting as he reached over him to unlock the door.

"Hi, Yuushi. I'm glad you're back. I was going to send you a message but I forgot my phone at my house," Jirou said as he slid out of the way. He then stood up and collected his bag, book and snacks from the ground.

"It's no problem. I hope you weren't waiting long." Even if Kenya was right about him and Jirou needing to have a talk it didn't mean he was unhappy at seeing his friend.

"Nope. Were you running?" Jirou asked obviously just now taking in Yuushi's clothes.

"My cousin convinced me to go with him." There was no way he was admitting to their bantering and bet.

"Ah, that explains it. Kenya really likes running. Was it fun?"

"Parts of it were." Yuushi unlocked the door and gestured for Jirou to head on inside and followed, thankfully not tripping over shoes in the process this time.

Before Yuushi had even got his shoes off and put away, Jirou had materialized a box of pocky from somewhere within his bag. "This will help perk you back up," Jirou said holding out the almond crush pocky.

"Thanks. But I was thinking dinner first. Did you eat?"

"Of course. I'm not a stray dog you have to feed, Yuushi," Jirou said walking into the living room and flopping down onto the couch as if he was very familiar with the place. And in fact, Yuushi realized, that's exactly what Jirou was. He probably knew the layout of the apartment and what was inside of it as well as he and Kenya did.

It was odd though how he hadn't realized just how often Jirou had been visiting until it was pointed out. He supposed it was because he didn't find Jirou's company intrusive or annoying as he could sometimes find Shishido's.

There was really only so long a person could handle the quiet and not-so-quiet grumblings about tennis, school, part-time jobs and whatever else Shishido was finding lame at the moment. Shishido was a good friend but not a person he wanted hanging out beside him all of the time. Jirou on the other hand was much better at keeping quiet when he was reading or watching movies. Something that Jirou's love of sleeping certainly helped with.

"I know that. But it is more enjoyable to eat with company than alone."

Jirou peeked his head over the side of the couch, "That's true. But it depends what you're making."

Yuushi didn't know if that was an insult to his, admittedly limited, cooking skills or if Jirou was actually full and only the most tantalizing foods would intrigue him.

"We could order in," Yuushi suggested after considering what was in stock in the kitchen.

"Or we could go out."

"We only just got here. And I'm sweaty from the run." Yuushi wasn't completely adverse to eating in his workout clothes but it did limit the restaurants he'd feel comfortable going to and he'd rather shower first anyway.

"Fine fine. Be all fussy and perfectionist. We'll order in." Jirou disappeared behind the back of the couch and then bounced up again holding his phone. "I'll order. You go shower."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Now shoo shoo." Jirou gestured along with the words and Yuushi wisely took the hint before Jirou decided he need to physically push him into the bathroom.

It did occur to him that he had no idea what Jirou was going to order or where he was ordering from but what was life without a little mystery. Besides, he had almond crush Pocky to help him survive. 

0*0*0

Yuushi woke to a loud yell from the living room followed by excited laughter. He yell had startled him but the laughter just confused him. He rubbed his eyes and without reaching for the glasses he didn't really need, he swung himself out of bed and shuffled sleepily towards the living room. "What's going on?" He asked around a yawn.

"Your cousin really is fast, Yuushi! Even off the courts. He jumped over the back of the couch and squished me and then he jumped right off as if I burned him and dashed all the way over there before I could even say anything," Jirou said in his manic way. He was beside Yuushi and gesturing wildly with enthusiasm.

That was one thing about Jirou. He did have a serious side but more often than not you either got the sleepy side or the hyper side. And as Yuushi himself wasn't really a morning person he found the hyper side a bit too much to deal with. "Ah, I see," He said noncommittally. He didn't really see at all and he figured all of those words would need another ten minutes before they fully computed. "I'm glad you're getting along." He gave Jirou a pet on the head before shuffling towards the kitchen to make coffee.

Kenya was hot on his heels into the kitchen and seemed determined not to give him the needed thinking time.

"I thought if I won you'd talk to him."

"You didn't win. It was a draw, remember?" Yuushi said. His brain could process that much thankfully.

"You still need to talk to him. This is our place, not just yours."

Yuushi sighed and ran a hand through his messy bed-head. "Fine. After coffee. And a shower."

"Good. I'm going to go for a morning jog. Just came in here for an energy bar." Kenya reached past his cousin for the box of bars in the cupboard and grabbed one. "See ya."

Yuushi could hear Kenya chatting with Jirou for a minute or two before the living room fell silent and the sound of the door opening and closing reached him. "Jirou, want breakfast?" Yuushi called into the living room.

Jirou bounded into the kitchen and nodded. "Sure. Toast again?"

Yuushi nodded and pointed at the bread and then the toaster. At least Jirou had low expectations for his culinary skills.

Once they were both at the table and half-way through their coffees and breakfast, Yuushi shifted the conversation topic from the worst and best train stations in Tokyo to the reason why Jirou was always over here instead.

"Is the commute bad to the university from your place? I realize I've never been."

"It's okay. It takes a while but it's a direct train so I can sleep. Atobe had a fancy real estate guy help me to make sure I got a good place."

Yuushi had remembered Atobe mentioning that and thought it was a good idea. Kenya and him almost came to physical arguments instead of just verbal while apartment hunting together and the frustration of finding a good place caused them. His parents finally stepped in and suggested the family real estate agent. Things had gone much more smoothly after that.

"That's good. I just thought you might always hang out here because it's closer and you're worried about missing classes."

Jirou hummed at that and then shook his head. "It's closer but it doesn't really help with classes. I still have to go back to my place and do laundry and other things."

Yuushi was curious as to what other things entailed as he had seen Jirou do almost everything here including laundry on one occasion. "Then why are you always here? I don't mind. I hadn't even realized how often you are here until Kenya pointed it out." He realized he was starting to ramble in a very Shishido fashion and not at all like his smooth self so shut up and took another sip of coffee. Clearly he hadn't got enough caffeine in him yet to be a fully functional human being.

Jirou gave a small shrug and then a soft small at Yuushi before hiding his face behind the large mug of coffee he had. "It's comfortable here," He said simply.

Yuushi nodded at that. If there was one thing important to Jirou, it would be comfort. Even if the guy could fall asleep in the most awkward of positions in the oddest places it didn't mean he didn't appreciate comfort, too.

"Then shall we go to your place later today and see if we can make it more comfortable, too?"

"We can try." Jirou said. "But even Atobe tried and didn't get very far with it."

Yuushi had a momentary flash of Jirou living in some drafty and condemned building beside some noisy and polluted factory and then quickly squashed the thought. Atobe wouldn't have step foot in a place like that let alone let one of his friends rent it. There just must be something else to it that was missing from Jirou's apartment that Atobe had missed.

For all of his insight, Atobe still had plenty of blind spots brought on from his unique circumstances in life. It was very possible he missed something quite obvious that those not quite used to the highest of high lives Atobe enjoyed.

"Well perhaps I'll have more luck."

Jirou agreed and the topics once again switched. This time to the latest video games and the ones Jirou really wanted to play and ones he didn't think would be very good. 

0*0*0

When they arrived at Jirou's modest but non-condemned apartment, Yuushi's first thought was that there was no way that it couldn't be comfortable. Yes, Jirou didn't have a lot of space here but for one guy who spent most of his time at university or sleeping it was more than enough space. And what space there was was filled with blankets, pillows and numerous plush toys Jirou had accumulated over the years from friends and tennis club members who often gifted them to him on his birthday and valentine's day.

Yuushi suspected the wonderfully comfortable and high-end bed was a housewarming gift from Atobe who liked any excuse to spoil his friends. But as he sat on the bed and sunk into the blankets, pillows and toys he couldn't help but think that it all felt very comfortable. And at least at the moment he couldn't hear any horrible noises or smell anything unpleasant.

"You have a nice apartment," Yuushi said.

"It's cozy but it's big enough for me. I don't think it'd be big enough for Kabaji though... or Ohtori. He's still all gangly limbs." Jirou flopped onto the bed and was momentarily lost as a pile of plush toys collapsed onto him.

Yuushi reached over to grab one of the larger ones and set it to the side. "That's very true. But it's a good fit for you or Gakuto. And with all so many of your toys here to cuddle you must sleep really well."

Jirou popped up from under the remainder of the toys and looked over at Yuushi and gave a shrug. "Not really. It's comfortable... but it's not. I think it's too quiet."

"Ah. That would explain why you like it at my place so much. Kenya is many things, but he's not very quiet." Kenya was a little like Shishdo in that way. Always on the move and always making noise be it from talking or video games.

"And it doesn't have you," Jirou added on.

Yuushi looked at Jirou and tried to figure out in just what way he meant it and then decided it didn't matter. They were past teammates and still good friends. If Jirou liked his company because of that, that was fine. If Jirou wanted more, well, Yuushi thought that that would be fine, too.

"Is that a hint that I should visit more often or that I should finally get you a spare futon to use in my room?"

"Both... maybe neither," Jirou said and then flopped back into the masses of pillows and toys. "The couch is rather comfortable and it's fun freaking out your cousin. He's easily spooked."

Yuushi nodded and joined in with Jirou's laughing at the memory from earlier this morning. 

0*0*0

Kenya gave a yawn as he walked out of his room holding his phone and then hopped over the back of the couch. "Ah, this is nice," He said to himself as he landed on cushions and not on Jirou.

He was stretched out on the couch messaging his friends back in Osaka when Yuushi's door opened. You're up early," He called. Yuushi was skilled at many things but unless it was necessary his cousin was not known for being an early riser.

When he didn't get a response he looked over to make sure his cousin wasn't hung over and he wasn't missing a chance to torment him. He nearly dropped his phone when he noticed the smaller man walking towards the bathroom instead of Yuushi.

"Jirou?" He said more to himself than to Jirou.

"Good morning." Jirou gave him a cheerful wave and then continued on his way.

Well... it wasn't quite what Kenya had in mind when he told Yuushi to talk to Jirou and get him off of the couch but he figured it was close enough. Though now he supposed Yuushi would throw an even bigger fit if he left his shoes lying around now. It'd be a pain to remember to clean them up all of the time but having the couch back to himself would be worth it.

End.


End file.
